“Observe, brainstorm, research, build and communicate.” That is what the brilliant young scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao stated in a zoom call from her home in Colorado, during a break in her virtual schooling when asked about her process by actor and activist Angelina Jolie.
Only 15 years of age, Rao has been chosen from a field of in excess of 5,000 candidates as TIME’s first historically speaking Kid of the Year. She talked about her amazing work utilizing innovation to handle issues going from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying, and about her central goal to make a worldwide network of youthful trailblazers to take care of issues the world over.
Gitanjali Rao, 15, has been named Time’s Kid of the Year for 2020 for her work inventing a mobile device to test for lead in drinking water.
“I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it — and anyone can do it,” she says.https://t.co/rZ2EDgU4EC
— NPR (@NPR) December 3, 2020
Blown away by @TIME’s first-ever Kid of the Year, Gitanjali Rao! ?
Only 15 years old & tackling issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction & cyber bullying.
Thank you Gitanjali for leading the way for the next generation.https://t.co/CsvRPDhMwS— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) December 4, 2020
TIME named its first ever “Kid of the Year.”
Gitanjali Rao invented a device to test water for lead at 12, inspired by the Flint water crisis. She says she wants to use science for social change: “There are problems [our generation] did not create but that we now have to solve.” pic.twitter.com/HeUeH60r69
— AJ+ (@ajplus) December 3, 2020
Netflix tweets a post for Gitanjali Rao and it threads into memes
Gitanjali Rao at 15 – Scientist, Inventor and #KidOfTheYear
Us at 15: pic.twitter.com/YDp6ODExik— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) December 4, 2020
She’s the lesser known Sharmaji Ki Beti. pic.twitter.com/dQ4D0kyOkj
— goDutch (@goDutch_in) December 4, 2020
Us at 17 also.. pic.twitter.com/lKWDEtawkE
— Harman_Khurmi (@HarmanKhurmi3) December 4, 2020
We at 15 watching Netflix and wasting time ? @netflix @NetflixFilm @NetflixBrasil @NetflixFR @NetflixES @nytimes @FoxNews @ndtv @aajtak @eonlineasia
— avi (@I_m_avi) December 4, 2020
